A big Cheers to Susan at Rona for the outstanding customer service. She always goes above and beyond, also Cheers to the yard guys and the rest of Rona for being so friendly and making such a great effort to provide us with what we need.

July 24th, 2015

Jeers

to the wall of weeds lining our highways. If this is any indication of what winter highway maintenance is going to be like, it’s going to be worse then last year.

July 24th, 2015

CHEERS

to Bon-Bon for capturing those amazing wildlife photos; truly enjoy seeing them in The Pioneer, keep sharing!

July 24th, 2015

Cheers

65 Cheers to Ray from the Legion from all of the vendors at the Invermere Farmers & Artists Market for his boundless energy and organizational skills. He has made the transition seamless and we are all looking forward to a very successful season!

July 24th, 2015

Cheers

to friends and family who persevered in getting me back to singing and back to playing the piano. Cheers to the same friends who never agreed with a local group that I “lacked talent”.

By Kelsey Verboom
Pioneer Staff
Until now, the Kootenay-Boundary area has lacked a comprehensive, region-wide land inventory to help with planning economic growth and future development.
Thanks to a new program called the Basin-Boundary Employment Lands Inventory Project, that is all about to change.
The newly-launched project will gather information about and create an inventory of regional land labelled as “employment lands.”
Essentially, employment lands are lands that generate economic wealth. They include agricultural lands; lands zoned or designated for heavy industry, light industry and commercial (non-retail); First Nations designated employment lands; brown …

By Kelsey Verboom
Pioneer Staff
A lone female wolverine was found lifeless in a ditch in Kootenay National Park during the May long weekend. Park staff believe the furry creature was struck by a vehicle, making it only the second such incident in the park since 1979.
Notoriously elusive, wolverines are rarely spotted. They slightly resemble a small bear, but are actually the largest members of the weasel family.
Between 2001-2010, there were 556 vehicle-caused large mammal deaths in Kootenay National Park. But because of the wolverines’ ephemeral quality, they are not usually …

By Pioneer Staff
Long weekend drivers were brought to a halt near Canal Flats on May 18th, when a semi-truck hauling black tar flipped on its side, spilling its content all over the highway.
The semi flipped while travelling north on Highway 93/95, five kilometres from the Whiteswan Lake turnoff.
Invermere’s Ed English was driving behind the semi and watched with horror as the scene unfolded before him.
“It blew me away,” Ed said. “He just all of a sudden veered off onto the right onto the shoulder, and it was like a …

By Kristian Rasmussen
Pioneer Staff
A ban on open fires will have Invermere residents holding off on family bonfires this summer. Invermere’s fire department has announced restrictions on campfire sizes and a ban all open burning without a permit within the Invermere township.
The restrictions, which came into effect on May 15th, will limit campfires to one square metre in size, and prevent burning of garbage or slash piles in residents’ yards.
“We want residents to have their fires in an enclosed pit that is made with proper blocks, not just rocks on the …

The May long weekend was filled to the brim with events and activities across the valley. From a day at the beach to a scenic hike, The Pioneer team was out snapping the action. Photos by Kristian Rasmussen and Kate Irwin.

Submitted by Pat Morrow
Conrad Kain Centennial Society
Local teens will be given the unique opportunity to lace up hiking boots and ascend one of the most spectacular areas in the world for hiking and climbing.
Following on the heels of last year’s successful Bugaboos Teens Mountaineering Program, the unique outdoor adventure is set to continue as an annual event. The program is hosted by the local Conrad Kain Centennial Society and Canadian Mountain Holidays, with support from BC Parks.
The July 20th-22nd camp is based out of the spectacularly located Alpine Club …

Enter The Pioneer’s annual travel contest for your chance to win two tickets to a Calgary Flames game plus one night of accommodation in Calgary, courtesy of Invermere’s Travel World. Send your high resolution photos to info@cv-pioneer.com or stop by to have them scanned at 8-1008 8th Avenue, Invermere.

to all valley residents who set an example to visitors about how to treat our valley. Thank you for driving with care, not littering, cleaning up ditches and the water’s bottoms and edges. Showing pride in where we live sends a message!

to everyone who helped make the Windermere Health Care Auxiliary Mother’s Day luncheon and bake sale a success on May 5th. Congratulations to the three Raffle winners. Your continued generosity helps us with our ongoing support of the Invermere Hospital, Columbia House and the Palliative Care Suite.